Hybrid reinforcement structure

ABSTRACT

A structural reinforcement for insertion into a cavity of a vehicle structure including a base reinforcing portion, an expandable material and a localized reinforcement is disclosed. The localized reinforcement is placed within the structural reinforcement at a location of anticipated increased deformation during vehicle impact in an effort to reduce deformation and control the load distribution post-impact.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

The present application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/112,331 (filed Nov. 7, 2008), theentirety of the contents of this application being hereby expresslyincorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to reinforcement of structures,and more particularly to reinforcement of vehicle structures usingmultiple reinforcing materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In recent years, considerable attention has been directed towardimproving vehicle performance in the event of collisions or otherimpacts. One particular aspect that has been addressed has been roofcrush resistance. An object of such efforts has been to increase theloads that a vehicle roof is able to withstand (e.g., during a rolloveraccident) and to help thereby prevent intrusion of the roof into thepassenger compartment. Efforts so far largely have been in the area ofmetal reinforcement, such as the increased use of steel structures forreinforcement. Unfortunately to perform an effective job of structuralreinforcement relatively heavy structures are needed. This has anundesired effect of increasing vehicle weight, with an attendantdecrease in fuel efficiency. Thus, there is a need for structuralreinforcements that provide enough support to meet the need for roofcrush resistance, and other structural reinforcement applications, whileavoiding the detrimental effects of increasing the weight of the vehicleroof.

In various other vehicle locations, recent years have seen the increaseduse of structural reinforcements in which vehicle cavities are commonlyfitted with structural reinforcements that aid in controllingdeformation from an impact. For some applications, it has become popularin recent years to employ a carrier structure in combination with anexpandable material as part of the reinforcement. See e.g., U.S. Pat.Nos. 6,932,421; 6,921,130; 6,920,693; 6,890,021; and 6,467,834 allincorporated by reference. Typically, these carrier structures are madesolely of molded polymeric materials. Some are made solely of metallicmaterials. As has been the case for a wide number of applications ofthese structures, the size and geometry of the structure may be relatedto the extent of load bearing that is required for the application.Often, this has been addressed by simply increasing the amount ofmaterial used for the carrier (and thus the part weight) in response tothe increased need for impact resistance. Attention to controllingmultiple modes of deformation within a single carrier is often onlyincidental, if at all.

The reinforcement and support of vehicle roof structures provides afurther particular challenge, especially in view of the cavity volumesin which reinforcement of the above type is possible. By increasing theamount of material used for the carrier, it may be difficult to employ areinforcement that is large enough to provide the requisite support butsmall enough to fit within the confines of certain vehicle cavities,including pillars and door sills. In addition, many new vehicle designs,particularly those related to compact vehicles, require strongerreinforcements in even smaller cavities. Traditional reinforcementstructures may not be suitable, as cavity size requirements often limitthe ability to add more material to the reinforcements for strengthincrease.

Thus, there remains a need for alternative techniques that allow for theability to improve the support capability of a carrier while avoidingthe addition of substantial weight and further avoiding the expense andtime associated with additional raw materials and additional processingtime. There also remains a need for a structural reinforcement that canbe made in a relatively low profile shape so that it can be employedwith success in smaller cavities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention meets one or more of the above needs by theimproved devices and methods described herein.

In one aspect, the present invention pertains to a structuralreinforcement comprising a base portion, an expandable material and alocalized reinforcement. The base portion may be an elongated basereinforcing portion having a longitudinal axis. The expandable materialmay be an expandable polymeric material at least partially associatedwith the base reinforcing portion. The localized reinforcement may be alocalized reinforcement aligned generally parallel with the longitudinalaxis and located within a contemplated impact deformation region of thestructural reinforcement. The localized reinforcement may further bemade of a material that is dissimilar from and has a higher tensilestrength than the material of the base reinforcing portion so that uponimpact in the impact deformation region the severity of deformation issubstantially reduced as compared to a part without the localizedreinforcement.

This aspect may be further characterized by one or any combination ofthe following features. The base reinforcing portion and the expandablepolymeric material may be integrally formed of the same material. Thelocalized reinforcement may include a fastening means that fastens thelocalized reinforcement to a vehicle structure or to the basereinforcing portion. The fastening means may attach to any mountingbracket, a seat belt mechanism or retractor, a pull handle bracket, aroof rack, a mirror bracket, a sunroof bracket, a bumper bracket, ahinge component, a chassis mount bracket, an engine bracket, asuspension component or a radiator bracket. The localized reinforcementmay be made of a metallic material selected from steel, aluminum,titanium, nickel, magnesium, an alloy, a transition metal or anycombination thereof. The localized reinforcement may be substantiallycompletely covered by the base reinforcing portion, the expandablematerial, or both. The base reinforcing portion may include a curvedfirst surface that is in contact with a curved localized reinforcement.The localized reinforcement may be a composite material. The localizedreinforcement may have an outer surface and at least a portion of theouter surface may be in contact with the expandable material afterexpansion.

In a further aspect, the present invention contemplates a structuralreinforcement comprising a base reinforcing portion having one or moreextensions, an expandable polymeric material adjacent to the one or moreextensions and a localized reinforcement. The base reinforcing portionmay be elongated and may include a curved first surface and alongitudinal axis. The expandable material may be at least partiallyassociated with the base reinforcing portion and the one or moreextensions may cause the expandable material to expand vertically firstand horizontally only after the expandable material extends beyond theheight of the one or more extensions. The localized reinforcement may bealigned generally parallel with the longitudinal axis of the baseportion and may be located within a contemplated impact deformationregion of the structural reinforcement. The localized reinforcement mayfurther be in contact with the curved first surface of the basereinforcing portion and may be made of a material that is dissimilarfrom the material of the base reinforcing portion.

This aspect may be further characterized by one or any combination ofthe following features. The expandable material may have a ductilityratio of about 2.5. The localized reinforcement may have a generallycurved or U-shaped profile. The base reinforcing portion may be a metalpart, a composite part, a polymeric part, or any combination thereof.The ductility of the base reinforcing portion material may be less thanthe ductility of the localized reinforcement material. The localizedreinforcement may have one or more visible exposed surfaces afterexpansion of the expandable material. The structural reinforcement mayinclude a top portion, a middle portion, and a bottom portion so thatthe localized reinforcement is only in contact with the middle portion.The base reinforcing portion, the localized reinforcement, or both, maycontain a mechanical interlocking means.

In yet another aspect, the present invention contemplates a structuralreinforcement comprising: a base reinforcing portion including a curvedfirst surface and one or more extensions; an expandable polymericmaterial at least partially associated with the base reinforcingportion, wherein the expandable polymeric material is located adjacentto the one or more extensions such that the one or more extensions causethe expandable material to expand vertically first and horizontally onlyafter the expandable material extends beyond the height of the one ormore extensions; a localized reinforcement having a generally curved oru-shaped profile and located within a contemplated impact deformationregion of the structural reinforcement, wherein: at least a portion ofthe outer surface is visibly exposed and in contact with the expandablematerial after expansion; the localized reinforcement is made of amaterial that is dissimilar from the material of the base reinforcingportion; the localized reinforcement is in contact with the curved firstsurface of the base reinforcing portion; and the ductility of the basereinforcing portion material is less than the ductility of the localizedreinforcement material; a fastening means that fastens the localizedreinforcement to a vehicle structure or to the base reinforcing portion.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative reinforcement inaccordance with the present teachings.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the reinforcement of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a skeleton view of the reinforcement of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of an illustrativereinforcement in accordance with the present teachings.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an illustrative reinforcement inaccordance with the present teachings.

FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of the reinforcement of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view of an illustrative bracket attached to thecross-section shown in FIG. 6 in accordance with the present teachings.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an illustrative reinforcement inaccordance with the present teachings.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an illustrative reinforcement inaccordance with the present teachings.

FIG. 10 is a diagram displaying location and movement of expandedmaterial and adjacent extensions in accordance with the presentteachings.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an Illustrative reinforcement inaccordance with the present teachings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention herein contemplates a unique approach for providingsupplementary support and reinforcement to portions of a vehiclestructure that experience increased deformation during vehicle impact.The additional support is provided by including a localizedreinforcement structure that, in combination with a base reinforcingportion as part of a single carrier, is capable of providing necessarysupport for structural reinforcement of the vehicle without addingsubstantial weight or cost to a vehicle. The base reinforcing portionmay be made of a polymeric material and the localized reinforcement maybe made of a metallic material. The resulting structure may weigh lessthan a reinforcing structure made entirely of metallic material. Theresulting structure may also weigh less and/or costs less than areinforcing structure made entirely of polymeric material (e.g., apolymeric reinforcing structure that provides support equal to that ofthe reinforcement of the present invention). The structuralreinforcement of the present invention is capable of providingadditional support to the roof structure or other cavities of a vehiclewithout adding substantial unwanted weight.

By placing structural reinforcements within vehicle cavities, the forceof an impact is absorbed and dissipated by the structural reinforcement.In the event that the force of the impact is too great, the material ofthe structural reinforcement may crack, bend or break. By providing thelocalized reinforcement disclosed herein within a structuralreinforcement, any impact that involves more force than the basereinforcing portion is capable of withstanding will cause a multiplestage deformation. The force of an impact may come into first contactwith the base reinforcing portion. Once the force exceeds the strengthcapability of the base reinforcing portion, the force will betransferred to the localized reinforcement as opposed to causingbreaking or cracking of the base reinforcing portion. This multiplestage deformation sequence may include further means to control theeffects of impact force on the structural reinforcement. For example,the addition of an expandable material as disclosed herein may add anadditional level of support for preventing any cracking or breaking ofthe base reinforcement portion.

As discussed herein, a localized reinforcement may be placed in contactwith a base reinforcing portion. The localized reinforcement may beplaced at a location on the base reinforcing portion that experiencesincreased deformation during impact to reduce the deleterious effects ofthe impact on the vehicle. The localized reinforcement may also span theentire length of the base reinforcing portion in the event that theentire base reinforcing portion experiences increased deformation duringimpact. The localized reinforcement may be an elongated structure thatis made of a material that is dissimilar to that of the base reinforcingportion. The base reinforcing portion may also be an elongated structurehaving a longitudinal axis and the localized reinforcement may bealigned in a generally parallel relationship to the longitudinal axis ofthe base reinforcing portion. The localized reinforcement may act tobisect the base reinforcing portion, such that the localizedreinforcement is aligned in a parallel manner with one or more ribstructures running transverse to the longitudinal axis and/or one ormore rib structures running substantially parallel to the longitudinalaxis on either side of the localized reinforcement. The localizedreinforcement may be attached to the base reinforcing portion via afastener and/or an adhesive. It may be held in place by attachment,compressive forces, friction, adhesion, or any combination thereof. Thelocalized reinforcement may include multiple layers of the samematerial, or multiple layers of dissimilar materials. The layers mayfurther include adhesives and/or expandable materials disposed betweenthe layers. The layers may also be fastened to one another, to the basereinforcing portion, to any adhesive or expandable material, or anycombination thereof.

The localized reinforcement may be insert-molded such that the localizedreinforcement is inserted into a location and molten material is appliedover and around the localized reinforcement. The localized reinforcementmay be co-extruded with the base reinforcing portion material, theexpandable material, or both. The localized reinforcement may also beattached to the base reinforcing portion via a fastening means oradhesive. After attachment, the localized reinforcement may extend alongthe entire length of the base reinforcing portion or alternatively itmay extend along up to about 25% of the length of the base reinforcingportion, up to about 50% of the length of the base reinforcing portion,or even up to about 75% of the length of the base reinforcing portion.It may extend greater than about 25% or greater than about 50% of thelength of the base reinforcing portion. The localized reinforcement mayextend along a width of the base reinforcing portion. The localizedreinforcement may extend along the entire width of the base reinforcingportion or alternatively it may extend along up to about 25% of thewidth of the base reinforcing portion, up to about 50% of the width ofthe base reinforcing portion, or even up to about 75% of the width ofthe base reinforcing portion. It may extend greater than about 25% orgreater than about 50% of the width of the base reinforcing portion.

Upon insertion of the localized reinforcement onto the base reinforcingportion, the localized reinforcement may have one or more exposedsurfaces (e.g., surfaces that are not concealed by the base reinforcingportion). The localized reinforcement may also be located within thebase reinforcing portion so that substantially all of the localizedreinforcement is covered by the base reinforcing portion (e.g., thelocalized reinforcement has no exposed surfaces). After expansion of theexpandable material, the localized reinforcement may continue to haveone or more exposed surfaces (e.g., surfaces that are not covered by theexpandable material or the base reinforcing portion). An outermostsurface of the localized reinforcement may be generally co-planar orcontiguous with the base reinforcing portion. An outermost surface ofthe localized reinforcement may project beyond and/or be recessedrelative to the base reinforcing portion over at least a portion of itslength.

The localized reinforcement may include one or more walls, andpreferably at least two adjoining walls that are angularly offset fromeach other. The one or more walls of the localized reinforcement may besubstantially planar or may be curved. The localized reinforcement mayinclude both walls that are planar and walls that are curved. The wallsof the localized reinforcement may follow and match the correspondingwalls of the base reinforcing portion (e.g., the walls of the localizedreinforcement are in contact with one or more walls of the basereinforcing portion so that the angles and/or curvature arecomplementary). The base reinforcing portion may include a firstsurface, an opposing second surface and at least one side wall. Thefirst surface may include one or more ribs. The second surface mayinclude one or more ribs. The one or more side walls may include one ormore ribs. The ribs may extend in a substantially transverse directionin relation to the longitudinal axis of the base reinforcing portion.The ribs may extend in a substantially parallel direction in relation tothe longitudinal axis of the base reinforcing portion. The basereinforcing portion may include a first portion and a second portion,such that the first portion does not contact the localized reinforcementand the second portion contacts the localized reinforcement. The basereinforcing portion may include multiple first portions. The basereinforcing portion may include at least two first portions, eachadjoining a terminating end of a second portion. One or more of the atleast one side wall may include at least a portion of the localizedreinforcement.

The localized reinforcement may be a steel reinforcement. The localizedreinforcement may also be composed of aluminum, extruded aluminum,aluminum foam, magnesium, magnesium alloys, molded magnesium alloys,titanium, titanium alloys, molded titanium alloys, nickel, copper,transition metals, polyurethanes, polyurethane composites, or anycombination thereof. The material of the localized reinforcement isselected so that the tensile strength and modulus of the localizedreinforcement may be higher than that of the base reinforcing portionand/or expandable material. The tensile strength of the localizedreinforcement material may be at least about 1.2 times the tensilestrength of the base reinforcing portion material. The tensile strengthof the localized reinforcement material may be at least about 2 timesthat of the base reinforcing portion material, or even 5 times that ofthe base reinforcing portion material. The material of the localizedreinforcement may also have increased thermal conductivity as comparedto that of the base reinforcing portion. It may have a flexural modulusof at least 1.2.

The material used for the localized reinforcement may be as thin asabout 0.5 mm. The wall thickness of the localized reinforcement materialmay be greater than about 0.5 mm. The wall thickness of the localizedreinforcement material may be less than about 3.5 mm. The wall thicknessof the localized reinforcement material may be about 1.5 mm. The wallthickness may vary at different points along the localizedreinforcement, or may remain constant along the entire profile of thelocalized reinforcement. The localized reinforcement may have at leasttwo non-planar walls. The localized reinforcement may have three or morewalls and may also have a substantially curved or U-shaped profile. Theprofile of the localized reinforcement may be constant along thelocalized reinforcement or variable. The walls of the localizedreinforcement may create a cavity and that cavity may contain ribstructures and/or expandable material.

The base reinforcing portion may be made of a suitable polyamide (e.g.Nylon) or other polymeric material. The base reinforcing portion may beinjection molded, extruded, die cast, or machined comprising materialssuch as polysulfones, polyamides (e.g., Nylon, PBI, or PEI), orcombinations thereof. The base reinforcing portion may also be selectedfrom materials consisting of aluminum, extruded aluminum, aluminum foam,magnesium, magnesium alloys, molded magnesium alloys, titanium, titaniumalloys, molded titanium alloys, polyurethanes, polyurethane composites,low density solid fillers, and formed SMC and BMC. The base reinforcingportion may be injection molded or extruded. The polymeric material maybe filled or otherwise reinforced. For example, it may include a glassreinforced polymeric material.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the present invention provides a localizedreinforcement 12 into a contemplated impact deformation region 36 on abase reinforcing portion 13 as part of a single carrier 29 (the basereinforcing portion having a longitudinal axis 28 and a first curvedsurface 33) such that the localized reinforcement material is differentfrom the base reinforcing portion material of the structuralreinforcement 50. The area of the base reinforcing portion fitted withthe localized reinforcement may experience reduced deformation ascompared to the portions of the base reinforcing portion that are notfitted with any localized reinforcement. The reinforcement structure mayinclude a first surface 22 and a second surface 23. The localizedreinforcement may be placed so that it contacts only the first surface(as shown for example in FIG. 2). The first surface may include arecessed area 26 having one or more walls for containing the localizedreinforcement. The walls of the recessed area may be substantiallyplanar as shown for example in FIGS. 2 and 3, or may be curved. Thestructural reinforcement 50 including a top portion 30, a middle portion31, and a bottom portion 32 so that the localized reinforcement 12 isonly in contact with the middle portion. As shown in FIG. 3, the basereinforcing portion includes one or more extensions 34 extendingtherefrom.

As shown for example in FIGS. 4 and 5, the reinforcement of the presentinvention may include a molded rib configuration 10 such as shown inU.S. Pat. Nos. 7,374,219; 7,160,491; 7,105,112; 6,467,834; and incommonly owned co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/863,929, herebyincorporated by reference. The molded rib configuration 10 may includean interconnected network of ribs and may include one or more fasteners11 (e.g., push-pin fasteners). The molded ribs may be arranged so thatthey are transverse to the longitudinal axis of the reinforcementstructure. The arrangement of the transverse molded ribs may create aplurality of cavities 27 arranged along the reinforcement structure.Each cavity may contain a plurality of walls such that at least one wallis formed by the localized reinforcement, the localized reinforcementhaving a u-shaped profile 35. As shown, for example, in FIG. 11, thereinforcement may further include one or more through-holes 16 throughwhich fluids can drain (e.g., e-coat fluid), and one or more standoffsor lugs for providing space between the carrier and the vehicle cavity.The molded rib configuration may further include an expandable material15. Examples of suitable reinforcements can be found, withoutlimitation, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,953,219 and 6,467,834 herebyincorporated by reference.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4-9, the localized reinforcement 12 may alsoinclude one or more structures 11 for fastening the localizedreinforcement to the base reinforcing portion or for fastening to anypart of a vehicle, including but not limited to any vehicle bracket,mounting bracket, seat belt mechanism, seat belt retractor, pull handlebracket, roof rack, mirror bracket, sunroof bracket, bumper bracket,hinge component, chassis mount bracket, engine bracket, suspensioncomponent or radiator bracket. The structure may include a fastener suchas a tree-fastener or a threaded screw fastener. As an example, apush-pin fastener may be used such as that disclosed in commonly ownedU.S. application Ser. No. 12/405,481. The fastener may be capable ofsecuring multiple layers or types of materials to a structure. Examplesof suitable fasteners include mechanical fasteners, clips, snap-fits,screws, hooks, combinations thereof or the like. For attachment to avehicle structure, the localized reinforcement may include formedopenings cut to fit around tabs located on the vehicle structure inorder to hold the reinforcement in place. Furthermore, it iscontemplated that the one or more fasteners may be integrally formed ofa singular material with the localized reinforcement or may be formed ofa different material and may be permanently or removably attached to thelocalized reinforcement.

As shown in FIG. 11, the base reinforcing portion 13 may include a topportion 17, a middle portion 18 and a bottom portion 19. The middleportion may be in contact with the localized reinforcement 12, whereasthe top portion and bottom portion may not be in contact with thelocalized reinforcement. The top portion may include a through-hole 20for attaching the structural reinforcement 50 to a vehicle component.The bottom portion may also include a generally u-shaped cut-out area 21for facilitating fit of the structural reinforcement within a cavity.The base reinforcing portion may also include a first surface 22 and asecond surface 23 such that the localized reinforcement is placed incontact with the first surface. The first surface 22 may be curved in aconcave form along the middle portion 18 of the base reinforcingportion. The localized reinforcement may also include a concave curvedportion 24 so that it is complementary in shape to the middle portion ofthe base reinforcing portion. The localized reinforcement may cover onlypart of the first surface of the middle portion or may cover the entirefirst surface of the middle portion. The first surface, the secondsurface, or both may also include a plurality of ribs 10.

The expandable material may be a material that experiences expansionupon exposures to temperatures of between about 148.89° C. to about204.44° C. (about 300° F. to about 400° F.) (i.e., temperaturestypically experienced in automotive painting or coating operations). Theexpandable material is typically foamed to a volume of at least 5%greater, at least 50% greater, at least 200% greater, at least 1000%greater, at least 2000% greater, at least 5000% greater or higherrelative to the original unexpanded volume. It is also contemplated thatthe volume of the material may be less after activation due to curing(e.g., cross-linking) for foamed or unfoamed versions of the expandablematerial.

The base reinforcing portion may also be contacted with one or moreexpandable materials such as those disclosed in commonly owned U.S.Patent Publication No. 2008/0029200, hereby incorporated by reference.The expandable material may be an epoxy based material such as thosedisclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,884,960; 6,348,513; 6,368,438; 6,811,864;7,125,461; 7,249,415; and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0076831,hereby incorporated by reference. The base reinforcing portion may alsoinclude one or more extensions 14 (as shown in FIG. 10). One function ofthe base reinforcing portion, in addition to providing structuralreinforcement 50 to a vehicle upon placement in a vehicle cavity, is toprovide a structural member that carries an activatable expandablematerial. Thus, the base reinforcing portion may include one or moreoutward facing surfaces onto which a layer of the expandable material isplaced. The expandable material 15 is applied to the surface of the basereinforcing portion (prior to expansion) at such locations. Theexpandable material may be at least partially associated with the basereinforcing portion and the one or more extensions may cause theexpandable material to expand vertically first and horizontally 38 onlyafter the expandable material extends beyond the height 37 of the one ormore extensions. Optionally, the direction of expansion may becontrolled by one or more extensions, such as those disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 6,941,719. The base reinforcing portion may also be composed ofan expandable material, such as that disclosed in commonly owned U.S.Patent Publication No. 2007/0090560, hereby incorporated by reference.The base reinforcing portion and the expandable material may also beintegrally formed of the same material.

The expandable materials according to the present invention can exhibitrelatively high strength moduli while also exhibiting a high degree ofductility. The expandable material, particularly for certaincombinations and amounts of ingredients (e.g., combination of certainamounts of adduct, amounts of impact modifier or both) as disclosedherein, can exhibit this increased ductility. These properties areclearly displayed using a conventional double lap shear test method.Such method is described in ASTM Method D3528-96, Type A configuration,using the following test parameters: test adherends are 0.060 inchthick, 1 inch×4 inch EG-60 metal pre-cleaned with acetone; each adhesivebond line is 3 mm; test overlap dimension is 1 inch×0.5 inch; test rateis 0.5 inch/minute. Such test method can be used to derive desirableproperties such as the following: the ratio of the strain-to-breakdivided by the strain-at-peak stress, which is referred to herein as theductility ratio; the energy-to-break, which is calculated as the areaunder the stress-strain curve using the strain at break as the terminalvalue for the area calculation.

Certain expandable materials formed in accordance with the presentinvention have exhibited a post-activation ductility ratio that isgreater than about 2.0, more typically greater than about 2.5 and evenpossibly greater than about 2.8. Certain expandable materials formed inaccordance with the present invention have exhibited a post-activationenergy-to-break value of greater than about 550 Nmm, more typicallygreater than about 700 Nmm and possibly greater than about 750 Nmm whendetermined in accordance with the aforementioned test method.

The expandable material may be generally shaped in a rectangular orblock configuration, but may also be shaped as needed or desireddepending upon the configuration of the base reinforcing portion and/orlocalized reinforcement. Of course, it is contemplated that the materialmay be applied to the base reinforcing portion and/or localizedreinforcement as a single piece (e.g., strip) or multiple pieces (e.g.,strips). Upon expansion the expandable material may expand verticallyinitially until contacting any barrier at which point the expandablematerial may begin to expand in a horizontal direction. The expandablematerial may be able to expand into any gap with a width larger thanabout 1 mm. Further, the expandable materials of the present inventionare capable of increasing the ductility of the base reinforcing portion.The expandable materials may act to distribute the load uniformly overthe surface of the expandable material and in turn to transfer the loaduniformly to the underlying base reinforcing portion and/or localizedreinforcement, thereby exploiting the inherent strength of the basereinforcing portion and/or localized reinforcement.

Unless stated otherwise, dimensions sand geometries of the variousstructures depicted herein are not intended to be restrictive of theinvention, and other dimensions or geometries are possible. Pluralstructural components can be provided by a single integrated structure.Alternatively, a single integrated structure might be divided intoseparate plural components. In addition, while a feature of the presentinvention may have been described in the context of only one of theillustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or moreother features of other embodiments, for any given application. It willalso be appreciated from the above that the fabrication of the uniquestructures herein and the operation thereof also constitute methods inaccordance with the present invention.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed. Aperson of ordinary skill in the art would realize however, that certainmodifications would come within the teachings of this invention.Therefore, the following claims should be studied to determine the truescope and content of the invention.

The explanations and illustrations presented herein are intended toacquaint others skilled in the art with the invention, its principles,and its practical application. Those skilled in the art may adapt andapply the invention in its numerous forms, as may be best suited to therequirements of a particular use. Accordingly, the specific embodimentsof the present invention as set forth are not intended as beingexhaustive or limiting of the invention. The scope of the inventionshould, therefore, be determined not with reference to the abovedescription, but should instead be determined with reference to theappended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which suchclaims are entitled. The disclosures of all articles and references,including patent applications and publications, are incorporated byreference for all purposes. Other combinations are also possible as willbe gleaned from the following claims, which are also hereby incorporatedby reference into this written description.

What is claimed is:
 1. A structural reinforcement comprising: i) anelongated base reinforcing portion having a longitudinal axis; ii) anexpandable polymeric material at least partially associated with theelongated base reinforcing portion; and iii) a localized reinforcementaligned generally parallel with the longitudinal axis and located withina contemplated impact deformation region of the structural reinforcementwherein the localized reinforcement is made of a metallic material thatis dissimilar from and has a higher tensile strength than a material ofthe elongated base reinforcing portion so that upon impact in the impactdeformation region, severity of deformation is reduced as compared to apart without the localized reinforcement; wherein the localizedreinforcement includes a fastener to attach the localized reinforcementto a component selected from a mounting bracket, a seat belt mechanismor retractor, a pull handle bracket, a roof rack, a mirror bracket, asunroof bracket, a bumper bracket, a hinge component, a chassis mountbracket, an engine bracket, a suspension component or a radiatorbracket; and wherein the elongated base reinforcing portion is moldedover and around the localized reinforcement.
 2. The structuralreinforcement of claim 1, wherein the localized reinforcement is made ofa metallic material selected from steel, aluminum, titanium, nickel,magnesium, an alloy, a transition metal or any combination thereof. 3.The structural reinforcement of claim 1, wherein the localizedreinforcement is substantially completely covered by the elongated basereinforcing portion, the expandable material, or both.
 4. The structuralreinforcement of claim 1, wherein the elongated base reinforcing portionincludes a curved first surface that is in contact with a curvedlocalized reinforcement.
 5. The structural reinforcement of claim 1,wherein the localized reinforcement is a composite material.
 6. Thestructural reinforcement of claim 1, wherein the localized reinforcementhas an outer surface and at least a portion of the outer surface is incontact with the expandable polymeric material after expansion.
 7. Thestructural reinforcement of claim 4, wherein the localized reinforcementhas an outer surface and at least a portion of the outer surface is incontact with the expandable polymeric material after expansion.
 8. Thestructural reinforcement of claim 1, wherein the expandable polymericmaterial has a ductility ratio of about 2.5.
 9. The structuralreinforcement of claim 1, wherein the localized reinforcement has agenerally curved or U-shaped profile.
 10. The structural reinforcementof claim 2, wherein the ductility of the elongated base reinforcingportion material is less than the ductility of the localizedreinforcement material.
 11. The structural reinforcement of claim 2,wherein the localized reinforcement has one or more visible exposedsurfaces after expansion of the expandable polymeric material.
 12. Thestructural reinforcement of claim 10, wherein the structuralreinforcement includes a top portion, a middle portion and a bottomportion so that the localized reinforcement is only in contact with themiddle portion.